Footpower vise



June 30, 1959 l. MILLET FOOTPOWER VISE Filed. Dec. 1, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR 9/20 97211542? June 30, 1959 I. MILLET FQOTPOWER. VISE Filed Dec. 1, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Q W Unit d State P e -Q 2,892,369 .FoorrownR VISE Ira Millet, Murray City, Utah Application December 1, 1955, Serial No. 550,334 4 Claims. (Cl. 81--17) This invention appertains to vises in which the force of compression is produced by footpower through a leverage system which is made to lock while the desired pressure is on.

The principles of the invention are speed and ease in operation and versatility in the handling of various objects and materials through the wide opening of the jaws; which jaws of the vise are apertured to hold two additional sets (not shown) of special insert jaws for clamping steel and pipe.

These principles are shown by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 is a top view of the mechanism, which may be fastened beneath the top boards of a workbench by bolts; or may be mounted in a special floor stand frame, or portable frames (frames not shown). Figure 2 is a vertical section along the line 2-2, of Figure 1, showing parts in elevation. Figure 3 represents a vertical cross section, as taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, and shows the pivotal mounting of a foot-operated lever and the engagement of said lever with a pivotal rack bar. Figure 4 represents a crosssection, as taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1, and shows how the foot-operated lever is latched in its workpiececlamping position.

The stationary body part of the vise consists mainly of two pieces of channel iron 4, 4, conveniently spaced and fastened together by plates 5 and 6; a vice jaw 7; reinforcing bars 8, 8, and a channel iron 9. Near that end of the channel irons 4, 4 remote from the jaw 7 are spacers where a rack bar 10 is pivoted on a pin 11.

The plates 5 and 6 with apertures constitute means for fastening the vise to a workbench, or special stand frames.

The movable or sliding part of the vise consists of two channel irons 12, 12, same as the stationary channel irons 4, 4, but reversed in position, as best shown in section 3--3; and properly spaced and held together by a jaw 13, reinforcing bars 14, 14, and an angle iron 15. Attached and extending downward from the channel irons 12, 12, near the jaw 13, and braced by bars 16, 16, are two bent angle irons 17, 17, which are connected together at the bottom by a spacer angle-iron bar 18. A notched retaining rack 19 is attached to the inner side of one of the bent angle irons 17. A bent foot lever 20 is provided with a catch plate 21, adapted to catch on the notched retaining rack 19, best shown in section 4-4. The bent foot lever 20 is mounted by means of an axis pin 22, and is one solid piece. Further, a bent section or short arm of the bent foot lever 20 is slotted so as to straddle said rack bar 10. Passing through the remote upper ends of the slotted, bent foot lever 20, is a vise catching pin 23 which engages in any of various slots 24, 24, etc. of the rack bar 10, when the rack bar is in lowered position. Near the upper slotted end of the bent foot lever 20, one end of at least one tension spring 25 is fastened (see Figure 2). Attached to the channel iron 9 is a device to which the other end of the tension spring 25 is fastened; which spring action places and holds the bent foot lever 20 and foot pedal 26 in an upward position when not 2,892,369 Patented June .30, 1959 being used. A lifting lever 27 is fulcrumed upon a pin 28 that passes through apertures in the channel irons 12, 12. The lifting lever 27 is slotted and carries a roller 29, mounted on a pin 30 that passes through the two slotforming parts of said lifting lever 27. Said two parts of the lifting lever 27 extend above the roller 29, so that when lifted, these two parts straddle the rack bar 10. Lastly, a part of the moving part of the vise, a piece of strap iron, bent in a U-shape and mounted upon the jawreinforcing bars 14, 14 by a pivot pin 31, constitutes a handle 32. Close to and immediately below the pivot pin 31 is a spanner iron 33, which extends across the U-shaped handle 32 and is welded so as to form a part of the handle. The spanner iron 33 is perforated and receives the bent end of a rod 34. The other end of rod 34 is similarly bent and likewise connected with the lifting lever 27.

To operate, the operator first lifts the handle 32, which actuates the rod 34, thus raising the lifting lever 27, which straddles and lifts the rack bar 10 by contact of the roller 29 against the notches 24, etc. This act disengages the rack bar 10 from the vise catching pin 23. With the handle 32 still in raised position, an operator can readily open and close the vise jaw 13 upon an object to be clamped. While opening and closing the vise, the roller 29 rolls over the notches 24, at the same time holding the rack bar 10 in raised position. Releasing the handle 32 automatically lowers the rack bar 10, which engages the wise catching pin 23 in one of the notches 24. The operator then puts foot pressure on the pedal 26, which closes or clamps the jaw 13 upon an object to be clamped. At the moment of desired pressure a slight sideward movement of the foot causes the catch plate 21 to lock the vise upon the object by engaging the notched retaining rack 19.

To release, the operator gives a quick, firm, downward and slightly sideward foot pressure to the foot pedal 26, which releases the locked vise. At this moment the action of tension spring 25 lifts the bent foot lever 20 and opens jaw 13 just enough to remove the clamped object.

I claim:

1. A footpower vise comprising a stationary slideway with a jaw fixed thereto, said jaw being designated as the stationary jaw, a oo-acting movable slideway with a jaw fixed thereto and designated as the movable jaw, a rackbar with notches pivoted at one end within said stationary slideway, a lifting lever pivoted within said movable slideway and adapted to lift said rack bar, a bent lever pivoted within said movable slideway and provided with a pin to engage the notches in said rack bar, said bent lever being adapted to actuate the movable jaw, a U- shaped handle pivotally mounted on said movable jaw, a lug extending from said U-shaped handle and adapted to transmit the angular movements of said handle to said lifting lever through a connecting rod pivotally connected to said lug at one end and to said lifting lever at the other end, said handle also being adapted to move said movable jaw to various positions with respect to said rack bar when said rack bar is lifted by said lifting lever, a retaining rack, a catchplate on said actuating lever to engage said retaining rack, and a pedal on said lever.

2. A footpower vise as recited in claim 1, said lifting lever including a roller that bears against said rack bar to reduce friction.

3. A footpower vise as recited in claim 2, said lifting lever including a roller that bears against said rack bar to reduce friction.

4. A footpo wer vise comprising a stationary slideway with a jaw fixed thereto, said jaw being designated as the stationary jaw, a co-acting movable slideway with a jaw fixed thereto and designated as the movable jaw, a rack bar with notches pivoted at one end within said stationary slideway, a lifting lever pivoted within said movable slideway and adapted to lift said rack bar, a lever mechanism to actuate said movable jaw having a part pivoted within said movable slideway and provided with a pin to engage the notches in said rack hat, a Uwshaped handle pivotally mounted onsaid movable jaw, a lug extending from said U-shaped handle and adapted to transmit the angular movements of said handle to said lifting lever through a nnnnecting mod pivotalily mnnected to ,said lug at one end and to the said lifting lever at the .other end, a retaining rack, a catehplate on said lever mechanism to engage said retaining rack, and a pedal on said lever mechanism.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

